This invention relates to an electric sign advertising element with at least one light source and a cover hood. The advertising element is generally made of plastic and is at least partially light transmissive, enveloping the light source(s). It is to be attached to an attachment surface or generally to an installation carrier, which is in turn to be attached to an attachment surface. The carrier generally carries the light source(s) and other installation elements and which has an at least partially light transmissive, frame-like outer segment which is bent off toward the rear and which is bordered by a reflector segment, whose inside reflects light at least partially, extends from its rear end to the front, is bent off outwardly and which reflects light coming through the outer segment from the light source.
In electric sign advertising technology it is desirable to have available electric sign advertising elements that allow the desired advertising effect to be obtained, if possible, not only at night (thus with light supply turned on) but also during the day. To this end, it is necessary in any event to attract, first of all, the attention of the potential viewers, so that they will also look at the corresponding advertisement. In addition, however, it is also extremely important not only to adapt the advertisement applied on the electric sign advertising element itself (be it now pictures or type face), which is printed generally with screen printing or the like on the front side of the cover hood of an electric sign advertising element, to the advertised product or to the advertised service, but also those elements of an electric sign advertising element, which are to attract the attention of the passersby--with or without a concrete reference to the advertised matter. In so doing, the advertising elements which are suitable, e.g., for a night bar, are routinely other than advertising elements, which are to advertise a first rate product. Whereas for the former conspicuous colors are generally suitable, they are less suitable for more serious services and high quality products. They do induce even there the desired attention-getting effect, but produce readily the impression of a "thriller" advertisement and lead then to negative inferences about the quality of the advertised matter. Rather more subdued colors and in particular a metallic lustre effect have proven to be especially suitable for advertising first rate products or services. Breweries, for example, have already made use of this knowledge in designing beer bottles, which are provided in part with silver or gold colored wrappings (made of metallic foil or metallized paper) and with corresponding lettering, whereas this knowledge has gained only limited admission to date into the electric sign advertising technology.
This may lie in the fact that an electric sign advertising element of suitable design may render the desired effect during the day, but not at night or vice versa. It may also lie in the fact that the advertising effect of the outer region of the electric sign advertising elements that forms, so to speak, a frame has not been given much attention to date--presumably for the above reasons, even though the outer region, which envelops the actual advertisement like a frame is suitable not only in particular to attracting with a suitable design the attention of a potential view but also the statement to be communicated with the actual advertisement can be backed up in a highly effective manner.
To be sure, besides electric sign advertising elements, provided with a striking colored outer region, electric sign advertising elements also already exist that exhibit a light reflecting reflector segment enveloping their outer edge; yet the effect of such electric sign advertising elements was unsatisfactory especially at night in particular because the light emitted by the light source(s) of the electric sign advertising element, issuing through the outer segment of its cover hood and reflected by the reflector segment to the front, have merely a bright or glaring effect on the viewer. With a silver colored layer on the reflector strip the light reflected to the front seems to be white to the viewer and with a gold colored coating light yellow, without producing the desired precious metal effect.